Vulcanizing-mold.



J. K. WILLIAMS.

VULOANIZING MOLD.

APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 5, 1909.

943,055. Patented Dec.14,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1P0 all whom it may concern:

.; UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN inwrnmirms; 01" Anon,

01110, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO THE WILLIAMS FOUNDRY AND MACHINE COMPANY, OF ,AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

vULcAmzme-M'ow.

Patented Dec. '14, 1909.

lmfli'cltien filetLAugut 5, 1909. Serial No. 511,441. p

Be it known'that I, TOHN a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vnlcanizing-Molds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus of the general type shown in my application for United States Letters Patent, 487,272, filed April 1, 1909, fo'r manufacturing rubber articles such as vehicle wheel tires, more particularly tires of the clencher' type and the general object thereof is to pro vide a vulcanizing mold to receive the ar-- ticle, with a portion ,of the interior of said mold provided with a recess or opening adjacent the article and with one or more layers of material which is pervious to a vulcanizing agent positioned within the recess anthfashioned to conform in contour to the shape to be imparted to the article during vulcanization. Experience has demonstrated that where a portion of a mold is provided with a recess in which is posltioned a layer of pervious material to hold the tire and permit the access of the vulcanizing agent therethrough to the tire, constant use tends to distortthe shape of the layer -of pervious material to such an extent that rubber articles made therein are consequently distorted and are .not necessarily uniform. It has also been found that in positioning layers ofpervious' material in a mold to sustain-the-tread portion of'a tire,

it is extremely diflicult to impart to the portions of the pervious material on both sides of the medial longitudinal line of the tire,

degree of tension and the result has an equal .in molds provided wit-h been that some tires unsupported pervious material are not prop- I erly balaiiced as the pervious material is rarely evenlystretched on the two sides, resulting in portions of the tire bulging laterally .on *theside which is covered by the pervious material to which is imparted the lesser amount of tension.

It is therefore a primary object this invention to provide a mold of the general type shown and described in the application heretofore referred to, which is provided with supporting means-for the pervious material, so constructed as to equally K. WILLIAMS, I

Serial No.

.6, the members support all portions of the pervious mate rial, to the end that the tire may be properly supported at all points during the application of the vulcanizing a ent thereto,'thus insuring trueness' and periection in the'finished product without any danger of unevenness or distortion of any portion thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in the novel constructlon, combination and arrangement of parts constitutingthe invention to be hereinafter specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a parthereof wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations and modifications can be'resorted to which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings, in whichsimilar reference numerals indicate like, parts in the dlfi'erent figureszFlgure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a vulcanizing-mold with a tire mounted upon a suitable mandrel in position-therem. Fig. 2 is a plan of a twopartmold embodying this invention; and,

Referring to the drawings in detail, thereference numeral 1 denotes an annular core or mandrel having the shape in 'cross sect on which it is desired to impart to the interior of the completed article,

which 'in' this 1nstance is an outer casingor'tube of a doubletube pneumatic tire, used to illustrate the operation of this device. The inner portion of the corev 1 is provided with an inwardly projecting flange 2 which serves to strengthen the core and provides means to-limit themovement of the mold sections when the same are clamped together preparatory to vulcanizing the tire. This flange also con stitutes means for accurately maintaining the position of the core in the mold during the vulcanization of the tire. 4 prises two cooperating sections 3 and 4 intended to occupy posltions on opposite sides of thej'core 1 and provided at intervals with legistering. Pairs of outwardly-pmj ti I 3105 of eachi air of lugs 5 and inwardly-projecting'pairs of lugs Each mold com '20 vulcanlzmg medium 18 admitted through an 's'paced apart from each other to permit the P receive and hold the shoe-portion 8 of a tire mold Sections is provided with a circumferentially-extending groove'19 adapted to 1 hoop 23.

acingbetween them of clamping bolts T which extend from the pans of registering lugs onone member to the corresponding lugs of the other member for clamping said sections together; but as this is a common means of IJlI11t111g,-1'I10l(l sections and fully understood by personsskilled 1n the art, a

further description thereof is believed to be unnecessary, and it will be entirely within the scope of this invention-to entirely omit both the lugs and the bolts and place the mold sections. when so desired in a suitable press instead of employing the bolts 7. The

inner oppositely-disposed faces of the mold ,sect1ons ad acent the core 1 are adapted to during the vulcanization thereof. The mold sectlons 3 and'et'areeach provlded with an mner chamber 9 to which steam or other opening 10 and each of the mold sections is also provided with' an outer chamber 11 to which'steam or other vulcanizing medium is admitted throughan inlet 12.

Arranged to beheld in position on the core 1. is an outer tube or casing 15 of a pneumatic tire, which as before stated, is used toillust'rate the application of this invention' The outer oppositely-disposed faces of the mold sections 3 and 4 are separated to form a circumferentially-extending opening 16 for a purpose to be stated and the outer adjacent portions ofboth sections.

are provided with.oppositely-disposed shoulders having inclined faces 17 each adapted to receive av clamping ring 18. Each of the pings about the hoops 23 a layer of perviousmaterial such as fabric which is carried from thence upwardly to the opening 16 and from thence outwardly onto the inclined face 'of its respective mold section and there clamped -"I t hrough the medium of one 'of the rings 18.- ;The layers of pervlous niaterlal will lie in gactu'al contacting engagement with the outer surface of the tread portion of the tire a'ndthe la yers of pervious material secured in each. mold section will be carried outwardly through the opening 16 and be secured on the inclined face 17 of'their respective mold section, sov that each layer of portions mate-. rial constitutes a fixed element of each mold sect-ion; Then the mold sections are placed opening means for the layers of -which it is used;

employed forv supporting the foraminous in contacting engagement,:as shown. in Fig. l, the layers of fabric carried by both mold sections will be in abutting relation in the 1(3 and constitute a fluid-tight packing therefor. i

As already stated, the layers of pervious material which are usually formed of woven fabric cannot be depended upon to maintain their shape and cannot be stretched with such evenness as to absolutely insure that the tire'will not bulge laterally'to one side or the other during the curing or volcanization thereof. 1 7

in order to 4 afford proper. supportin perviou's materizil which are designed to actually contact with the surface 'of thetire andv support all portions thereof approximately equally and evenly, this invention contemplates Provid ving a reinforcing layer or strengthening element preferably composed of one or more layers of foraminous or reticulatedmaterial,

designatedii'i the drawings by the reference numeral 25 and wire cloth.

The invention further contemplates securing the supporting element of'foraminous or reticul ted material 25 in the recesses 22 and aca'rrying vit from thence outwardly through the .obening 16 onto the inclined face 1'7 each of the mold sections and so positioning it that it will lie in contacting engagement with the layer of pervious material which it supports andbe clamped 1n positlon on the inclined face 17 onto which it is carried by the same clamping means wlnch are employed 1n clampmg the layer-'- of pervious material in connection with Various means may be layer and two means areshown in the drawings which are each capable of performing this function and may bedescribed as follows: The lnterlor of the moldcavity in each of the mold sections adjacent the i tread (if the tire is provided with a plurality "of ci rcun' ferent-ially-extending grooves 26 between which area plurality of ridges 27 extending lnwardly. toward the mold cavities sutlicientlyto engage and constitute supporting means for thelayer of foraminous ma-' terial' Each of the grooves 26 is connected by an opening 28 Withthe steam chamber '11 thereof, insuring afree passage of the vulcanlzing agent to the surface of the layer 25, from which it passesto the per vious .material 24 and from thence lnto ac-- tu'al, contact with the surface of the article to be vulcanized.

' In'setting up a mold. of this description, it is assembled somewhat as follows: Two strips, one of, perviousfmaterial and. another of foraminous or reticulated material such as Wire cloth .are cut to the appropriate shape and'after being placed one upon the preferably consisting of v cess or groove 19 and turn ij'ected to the heat s ctions without the 'desired In viewof the fact that both the-molds 4 other with the fabric layer toward the mold cavity, their, inner" lapping edges are wrapped about the wire hoop 23, which in is forced into its respective groove 22, after which the ringiZO is seated in the resecured there through the medium of the holdfast devices 21, thus effectually compressing the two layers of material and the hoop 23 into the groove 22 and securely locking them there. The outer edges arelthen carried outwardly and bent over the inclined face 17 of the section. A vsuitable form or dummy corresponding in shape and size to the tire to be vulcanized is then pressedinto the mold cavity until properly seated therein. This seating of the form stretches and rial so as to cause them to conform to the outer surface of the tire body which is after-' ward-to be placed in the mold. A clamping ring 18 is then forced onto its seat on the inclined face 17, thus securely locking the layers of material in position. This operation is repeated with the other mold section, after which the dummy or form is removed and an unvulcanized tire, suitably mounted on a mandrel or other means for fashioning the interior thereof, is placed between the abutting mold sections and after they are clamped together, the entire device 1S,S11l)- of vulcanization. In vulcanizing a tire in this'type of mold, the two sections may be clamped together by the bolts 7 and then placed in a vulcanizing oven and the vu'lcanizing agent passes to the steam chambers through their appropriate inlets to effectually vul'canize the tire. If'it' is not desired to place the mold in a Vulcan i' mg oven, suitable steam supply pi es may be connected witlrany 0118.01: all 0 the in- 1 ts to the steam chambers, thuseifectually x jgilcanizing thearticle contained in the mold necessity. of placing the It mold in. anoven. will be further obvious that ifQit is desired to admit steam to one ofthe steam chambers'and not to the others this'maybe readily done by admitting steam vvto 1' any selected team chamber opposite the respective portions of the tire to which it is to transmit the vulcanizingheat.

andfthe tires are cold when placed in the steam chamber used for Vnlcanizing the ar- .ticle,-considerable condensationof the steam takes; place and in order to secure perfectoperation of the 'vulcanizing heat by render- --ing the access of steam to all portions of the tire-as free as possible, suitable ducts 32 are employed .to permit thewater of condensation' to escape, these ducts preferably leading'fthrough'a suitable portion of the walls of. the cavities surrounding the tread of the tire outwardly to the inclined faces'lf, and suitable-openings are made through the pervious material connected therewith to per- I initdrainage of the mold cavities. The contacting layers of fabric in the opening 16 constitute a packing for the joint between the outer portions of the mold sections, and in order to prevent any possible escape of steam through the joint between the inner portions of the mold sections a suitable packing ring may be employed, which is seat-. ed in suitable registering grooves in the oppositely-disposed faces of the inner portions of the mold sections.

This mold as shown "and described is adapted for use in manufacturing what are known in .the' art as one cure tires by which is meant tireslin which all portions thereof are completely united by one vul canization and it is also perfectly-adapted to manufacture tires by -what is known asthe two cure process wherein .the carcass of the tire is placed-in a complete metallic mold and semi-cured, after which the carcass is removed from the mold and an unvulcanized tread placed thereon, after which it is returned to the mold and time to Vulcanizing heat, by which process the carcass is given a harder cure. than the tread by reason of the fact that it is subject- 'ed to two vulcanizations. r

What I claim is:

1. A vulcanizing apparatus comprising a mold formed of a plurality of sections, each of said sections having as a component partthereof a permanently-fixed lining of per-f vious materi 1 provided with a foraminous reinforcing medium and constituting means to permit of the passage of a v'ulcanizing medium and said reinforcementconstituting means to prevent the distortion, of said-lining during the vulcanizing operation, each of saidlinm'gs and, its reinforcing mediu'm secured to its respective section. a

2. :A vnlcanizing apparatus comprising a moldformed of a plurality of sections, each provided with a vulcaniz'ing medium spacehaving one wall thereof provided with openings and circumferentially extending ribs, each of said sections having as a component part thereof a lining of pervious material provided with a reinforcing medium arranged in proximity to said ribs, said 'per-' vious material constituting means, to permit, of the passage of the .vulcanizing medium. and said reinforcement for said -.per vious material constituting means distortion .of the pervious material: during the vulcanizing operation,-eaclr of said line ings and its reinforcement spective mold'section;

-3. A vulcanizing apparatus-comprismg a mold formed of a plurality ofsections, each of said sections having as thereof-a permanently fixed reinforced ling to prevent the .120

secured'to its rea component part passage of a vulcanizing medinm, the re-- inforcing of said lining preventing the tortion thereof during the vulcaniz in ope? atlou. each of said reinforcifig'lnnngs secured to its respective HlOlClSGCtlOII;

--l. A vulcanizing apparatus comprising a opcl'iings and further provided with bir- "(Hll'lferel'ltially extendingcribs arranged in j nfoxin'iity respective section.

0, thereinforced lining of its A vulcanizing apparatus comprising a I mold formed of a plurality of'sections, each of said sections provided with a recess, and further provided with a spaceto-constitute a chamber for the reception of a vulcanizing medium, one wall of said chamber provided with openings and further'having ribs, said openings establishing communication be: tween said chamber and said recess, and a reinforced lining of pervious material mounted in each of said recesses. nd in proximity'to said ribs, said ni1ig ,o f:.perupousmaterial constituting means togiiernnt the passage of the Vulcanizing medium and the reinforcement of said ln'nng'pre- "venting 'the latter from distortion during the vulcanizing' operation, each of said linings secured to its respective mold section.

- said linings secured to its respective section, a. andeach of said sections furthermore'pro-i 6. A'vulcanizing apparatus comprising at mold formed of a; plurality of sections, each of said sections lfaving as a component partthereof a permanently. fixed reinforced lining of pervious; material to permit of the passage of a vulcanizing medium, each of said linings secured to its respective section, 'and'eachof said sections furthermore provided with meansfor sustaining its respec-- tive reinforced lining against distortion durung'. the vulcanlzing operation.

7.- A vulcanizing apparatus comprising a- .moldformed of a plurality of sections, each of said sections having as a component part 5 thereof a permanently fixed reinforced lin ing of pervious material to ermit of the passage of a vulcanizing' me ium; each or vided with means for sustaining its respec- "tive reinforced lining against 'distortion' l'Tly hand-in during the vulcanizing operation, each of sa d mold sections furthermore provlded with a space to constitute a steam chamber,

one wall of said chamber provided with an mold formed of a plurality of sections, each of said sections having as a component part thereof a composite lining formed of a strip of pervious material and a strip of forain1- nous material positioned against one face of the strip of ervious material, each of said.stripsconstituting the composite 'lining permanently secured to its respective Inold section. I

' 9(A vulcanizing apparatus comprising a mold formed of a plurality of sections, each of'said sections having as a component part thereof a ermanently fixed composite lining formed of a strip of pervious material and a strip of foraminous material positioned against-one face of the strip of pervious material, each of said'strips consti-- tuting the composite lining secured to its respective mold section, each of saidmold sections furthermore provided with means to sustain its respective composite lining in position to prevent distortion of the said lining during the vulcanizi'ng operation.

'10. A Vulca-nizing apparatus comprising a, mold formed of a plurality of sections, each of said sections having as a component part thereof a permanently fixed composite lining formed of a strip of pervious material and a strip of for-aminous material vpositioned against one face of the strip 0fpervious 'material, each of said strips constituting the comp'oslte lining secured to Its respectlveniold section, each of said mold sections furthermore provided with means i a to sustain its, respectlve composite lining in position to prevent distortion ,of the said lining during the vulcanizing operation, and each of said mold sections further havlng a space to constitute a vulcaniz'ing medium 'chamber having one wall thereof provided- With an opening for supplying the -.vulcaniZ-ingmedium against said composite pervious lining.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set nesses. r p

v JOHN K. ILLI M Witnesses v GLENARA Fox,-

a A -E,

presence of two subscribing wits 

